In his writings, Founder Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi has written to
the effect of the following:

“The grace of the blessings of nature permeate everywhere. The
whiteness of the frost, the leaves falling from the trees, the footprints of
the little birds left on the frost, the sun rising, the sunny skies, the cloudy
skies, the thick fog, the song of a hundred birds, white doves flying, dogs
running—when we awaken, we realize that there is nothing that is not a
blessing. Our mind’s eye opening is, in effect, a New Year. It is not that the
calendar day is new, but it is that life has been born anew.”

As we continue to practice the three correct religious practices
(Shinsokan meditation, reading of the holy sutras and songs in praise and
Seicho-No-Ie books, and practicing deeds of love) that are the foundation of
our life of faith, let us keep hold of the “feeling of being born anew” and
courageously share the joy of being a child of God again this year!

Thank you very much for your tremendous effort and the many deeds
of love that each of you dedicated yourselves to in propagating the teachings
in your respective Missionary Area, Regional District, and each base of
propagation throughout the 2016 Movement Year.Thanks to the workings of musubi that came from your having
looked after others with so much care, many people touched upon the teachings
and are walking on the path of happiness. Please accept my heartfelt
appreciation for your efforts.

I am grateful that the new events we had during
2016 produced various positive results.

In
particular, the “Seicho-No-Ie Blessings of Nature Festa” held for the first
time in the United States on Saturday and Sunday, October 1st and 2nd, was held in a wonderful environment, thanks to your warm support, and proved to be a wonderful opportunity to show many people the joy of our living together
with nature and a way of life related to giving hope to the next generation. It
was so successful that there were comments such as, “I can’t wait for the event
to be held next year!” In the food booths, there were “no- meat, low-carbon
lifestyle” foods, in the arts and crafts corner, there were examples of a
“resource-saving, low carbon lifestyle,” and in the walking and group bike ride
event, we introduced an “emphasis on nature and a low- carbon lifestyle.” In
addition to all of this, there were multicultural performances of dance and
song and it was a program that people of all ages could enjoy.

As you know, to realize world peace, there is a need for humankind
to change quickly to a life that realizes happiness without destroying nature—
in other words, a life that “grows together with nature”—and build a “new
civilization.”

We in Seicho-No-Ie have been taught that a “new civilization”
comes from the objective of balancing the biodiversity of the entire world and
the realization of the happiness of humankind, controlling one’s personal
desires, and even when it comes to the use of scientific technology and
resources/energy, making choices based on that objective. To do that, human
consciousness must grow from a personal level to a level that includes the

region, country, humankind, and all living things on earth.
Therefore, International Headquarters, while keeping close ties with the
community, is developing its work operations and way of life in the direction
of deepening its ties with nature. The “Seicho-No-Ie Blessings of Nature Festa”
came from this effort. In other words, share the concrete example of a life
that “grows together with nature,” not only with the members but including the
people within the community, offer them an opportunity to experience and sense
this and thereby elevate their level of consciousness and increase the number
of practitioners who live a life that “grows together with nature.” I believe
this initiative will expand even further throughout the world. Each Missionary
Area will hold a similar event this year, so I do hope you will make every
effort to participate in it.

Let us work together under the guidance of each minister and the
representatives of your areas again throughout the 2017 Movement Year, and, in
an orderly way, develop a bright, positive Movement!

Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation
in this coming year.

Each and every single day must be New Year's Day in your life.

In his writings, Founder Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi has written to the effect of the following:

“Each and every single day must be New Year’s Day in your life. When you wake up in the morning, think of it as being the first day of the year. And you must have a “feeling of being born anew” so much so that you can say to everyone, ‘Congratulations. Thank you very much for the beginning of a wonderful year.’”

Let’s try our best to do this, and greet a new morning each day and practice the teachings, brightly and cheerfully aligned with God’s will!

We are pleased to send you President Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi’s New Year’s Message. He has given us an overview of the efforts undertaken since 2014 when Seicho-No-Ie embarked on a unified, organized international movement and provided us with guidance on “what it is that we should do this year.” Please share this message with as many people as possible and read it thoroughly together with them.

As you know, the daily practice of the three correct religious practices (Shinsokan meditation, reading of the sutras and songs in praise—“Song in Praise of Nature” and “Song in Praise of the Bodhisattva Who Reflects the Sounds of the World—and Seicho-No-Ie books, etc., and the practice of deeds of love) are the fundamentals of a life of faith. Let us once again in the 2016 Movement Year also, be conscious of the workings of musubi (“the power of becoming” or “creation”) and share the Truth that “human beings are children of God” as we always focus our movement and our lives on the manifestation of the “Grand Harmony of God, Nature, Human Beings”!

I’d like to share something with you that happened at the end of last year. One day, a lady came unexpectedly to U.S. Missionary Headquarters. We heard that she had read four issues of the Truth of Life magazine, thanks to the deeds of love of one of the Southern California Missionary Area members, and was very moved at the powerful content and the testimonies of illnesses being healed and various problems being resolved, etc. She herself had been diagnosed with an illness and she said, “I just had to come to Seicho-No-Ie today.” After Mrs. Solo, a member of our staff, talked to her about the Four Holy Sutras, it seems that after reading it aloud, the lady bought a copy of the Four Holy Sutras. After that, Rev. Bruce Mallery, National Ordained Minister, met with her and provided her with individual counseling. I understand she said, “I had no idea until now that there was a powerful place like this. It’s thanks to the Truth of Life magazine.” She was given several issues of the magazine as she left. I believe she is starting off the New Year on a bright, positive note.

In this way, thanks to your many deeds of love throughout the year, many people have touched upon the teachings and are walking the path of happiness filled with hope. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for this.

Under the guidance of President Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, let us, together with Seicho-No-Ie members worldwide, carry out our mission with sincerity, brightly and cheerfully! Thank you very much!